Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3242, the "Specialty Crops
Competitiveness Act of 2004" (the "Act"). The Act is designed to
increase the competitiveness of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried
fruits, and nursery crops grown in the United States.

Section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977, as amended by section 303 of the Act,
purports to require the Secretary of Agriculture to take into
consideration certain advisory board-approved findings and
recom-mendations in preparing the Secretary's annual depart-mental
budget proposal to the President and to disclose to the Congress how
the Secretary addressed each such recommendation. The executive branch
shall construe section 1408A in a manner consistent with the
President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive
branch, to require the opinions of principal officers of the executive
departments, to recommend for the consideration of the Congress such
measures as the President shall judge necessary and expedient, and to
withhold information the disclosure of which could impair the
deliberative processes of the Executive or the performance of the
Executive's constitutional duties.